


Billy Batson Doesn’t Do Love

by minecraftvillagernoise



Category: Shazam! (2019)
Genre: Billy is flustered, Confessions, First Kiss, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, M/M, freebat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:36:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minecraftvillagernoise/pseuds/minecraftvillagernoise
Summary: Freddy: *exists*Billy: *in love noises*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not my best work but,, enjoy!

There’s one thing you should know about Billy Batson: he doesn’t do love.

None of that touchy feely shit like the romantic sub plots in comics he reads with Freddy, and especially none of the love stuff in the vomit inducing romantic comedies he and Mary routinely watch on Sunday nights that he secretly enjoys.

So, yeah. There’s one thing you should know about Billy Batson: he doesn’t do love. Or so he thought, until about last week.

He’d been doing his homework on the top bunk, probably some stupid English assignment he didn’t understand, when Freddy flung himself through the door. He came in excitedly raving about his new comic haul when his crutch caught on a forgotten shoe, and he fell to the floor with a yelp, his new comics scattering across the floor.

Billy said something stupid, it might’ve been a joke. The whole memory was fuzzy, the only thing he could remember was Freddy’s giggle. Billy remembers Freddy’s mouth fell open as he laughed, and that he could see his teeth. Billy remembers that a comic had gotten stuck to Freddy’s sweaty hand as he tried to pull himself up. Billy remembers Freddy’s soft smile after he was done laughing, billy remembers Freddy looking up at him from the floor with a soft look.

Billy remembers feeling utterly fucked.

“So, are you gonna tell him?”

It was Sunday, so Billy was once again on the couch next to Mary, a bowl of popcorn between them as the The Proposal started playing.

“Woah, Sandra Bullock is in this? Holy shit- Ryan Reynolds?”

Mary flicked a piece of popcorn at billy and it hit him square in the forehead.

“Don’t deflect. I want to know! It’s all in your best interest.”

Billy rolled his eyes, annoyed. Did he want to watch a horribly cheesy romantic comedy? Or did he want to talk to Mary about his deepest woes. How tragic.

“I don’t know.”

It was silent as the opening scene started, and Mary looked at him, waiting.

“Should I assume that you know something I don’t? Why aren’t you elaborating? Why am I not getting any details?”

Billy dug his hand into the popcorn bowl, and shoved some into his mouth like he was a 45 year old man at the bar with a glass of whiskey instead of popcorn.

“It’s nothing,” He said through a mouthful of popcorn. “I just don’t want to change anything, I guess.”

Mary rolled her eyes.

“Billy.”

“I’m perfectly content!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! No, maybe. I don’t know.”

Billy sighed and sunk back into the couch. Mary leaned back and looked at him disapprovingly.

“You do realize you just gave every possible response to that question?”

Billy turned his attention back to the movie. So what if he liked Freddy a little? It wasn’t the end of the world. Was it? We’re his stupid feeling worth sacrificing everything on a whim? Of course not. No, _maybe_ he didn’t even like Freddy.

“I don’t know if I even like him. Like _really_ like him. Sure he makes my face get red and I think he’s cute and I want to like, _maybe_ kiss him. Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I really like him! It could just be a passing crush, right?”

Mary hummed, thinking over what e said. Billy waited as she turned her attention back to the movie. Frustrated, Billy leaned over the popcorn and smacked her arm.

“Ow! Jesus.”

“What should I do?!”

“You should probably tell him either way, dude. Be open let the good juju flow, man.”

Billy looked at her, utterly disgusted, and gagged.

“Never talk like that ever again. Now I don’t want to listen to your expert advice. Why would I listen anyways?”

“Because I’m observant?”

Billy scoffed, and tried turned his attention back to the movie. He curled up in the throw blanket more, and only had one hand stuck out to grab his popcorn. He grabbed a few pieces and tossed them into his mouth.

“Have you guys seen Darla?”

Billy chose not to look up at Freddy’s voice, and looked to Mary, who shrugged, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She smirked as she watched billy grow increasingly flustered by Freddy’s presence.

“Woah, is this The Proposal with Sandra Bullock?”

Mary looked at billy with an evil smile, then turned to Freddy.

“Sure, want to watch?”

“No!“

Billy yelled, louder than he meant to. Freddy looked at him, confused as to why he was trying to dictate who watched what movies.

“I mean, shouldn’t I get time alone to,, bond? With Mary? Yeah.”

Freddy looked at billy, and billy looked at Mary, and Mary looked at billy too.

“Ok I guess. Just tell me if you see darla, she’s been playing this one sided game of hide and seek for damn near two hours now.”

With that, Freddy left. Mary looked at where Freddy once stood, then at Billy. She waited until she didn’t hear the click of his crutch against the floor before she have him a pointed look.

Billy scoffed, “Mary, don’t.”

“Aww, Billy’s embarrassed. You really like him.”

Mary reaches out an arm and pinched his cheek. Billy smacked it away with his popcorn arm, and Mary laughed.

“Come on, you should tell him. ”

“Shut up, I want to watch the movie.”

“Right, you, Billy Batson, want to watch this cheesy romantic comedy. I bet you’re just insecure about how you feel.”

“Am not!”

“Are to!”

“Am not!”

“Are t-“

“Can you guys keep it down?”

Pedro walked in annoyed, and grabbed his weights from the coffee table.

“Eugene wanted me to tell you that he wants the tv when you’re done.”

“You got it, dude.”

Pedro simply gave Billy a look at his words and left, and Billy looked back to Mary to find her giving him the same look.

“What?”

“You’re insecure about how you feel.”

“Shut up-“

From the kitchen, there was a scream, followed by a loud laugh.

“Looks like Freddy found darla.”

Billy frowned at his lap, and picked at the loose threads. He whispered when he spoke. He suddenly started thinking about everything that could go wrong, and as he looked around the house he realized he truly liked it here. The stained couch and the sink in the bathroom downstairs that only turned on if it was twisted just right. He couldn’t lose this, he was fine, probably. Would it change anything?

“I feel like it’ll ruined everything.” Billy curled in on himself as he spoke, and got lost looking in the middle ground between him and the tv as he allowed Mary to formulate a response.

Mary sighed and reached across the popcorn bowl to ruffle his hair, “I’m sure it’ll turn out fine. No more overthinking. Just let loose.”

As they watched the movie in newfound silence, it allowed for Billy to really think for the first time since he “figured out” that he “liked” Freddy. It couldn’t be real, could it? Billy doesn’t do love, he knows this. Maybe he couldn’t do love.

In the end, Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock get together, Billy found himself wishing that were him and Freddy.

It was always him and Freddy, wasn’t it? Them against the Bryers, against villains and against teachers that seemed determine to make them fail. They were a team, they had each other’s backs always. What if Billy’s “feelings” changed things? What if Freddy didn’t want to be a part of Billy-And-Freddy anymore?

“I see you over there moping, you gotta tell him.”

“Mary-“

“Well it’s obviously bothering you!”

“Tell who what?”

Billy froze at Freddy’s voice and Mary looked between them as if she was entranced in a saucy reality tv show.

“Mary don’t-“ Billy begged, but she just sent him a quick smile and turned to Freddy, “Billy has something to tell you!” Then she turned back to Billy and mouthed something that looked like “you’ll thank me later.”

With that she took the empty bowl of popcorn and sped out of the living room to the kitchen out of view. Freddy wiggled his eyebrows at billy.

“So what’s the big news?”

Shit.

“I’ll tell you upstairs.”

Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *me falling down a flight of stairs noises*

As Billy closed their bedroom door, Freddy looked at him, and Billy could feel his throat closing up in embarrassment. This was a bad idea. Freddy would like- hate him, right? Then he’d have to live with the awkwardness for the rest of his life.

“Billy are you gonna-“

Billy coughed loudly, clearing his throat and cutting Freddy off as he pretended not to hear him. He wasn’t used to this. His hands were feeling wet, and he wiped them on his pants as he felt his face getting redder- hotter. He internally groaned and covered his face, he must look like a mess right now. He wasn’t used to this.

“Billy,” Freddy spoke his name, and Billy realized it must’ve been in the form of a question, but still couldn’t look at him. Freddy might’ve meant “Billy why do you look like that” or “Billy are you going to actually say what you wanted to tell me?”

”Billy can you just tell me, I’m getting sorta nervous.”

At his words, Billy looked up at Freddy. He was fidgeting his fingers around his crutch handle and the ends of his curly hair had stuck to his forehead. Fuck it. Now or never.

“I-“ Billy’s voice cracked, and he coughed up something intangible in his throat. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath.

“I think I like you.”

Freddy stopped fidgeting his fingers, he stopped moving. Billy took in a deep breath as Freddy simply watched him. Freddy licked his lips, readying to speak, but didn’t say anything. So billy continued.

“I mean, yeah I get it you don’t have to say anything. I don’t mean to pressure you- uh you don’t have to like me back or whatever. Mary just said that itd be good to let it out, something about my “best interest” or something like that.”

Billy shifted his feet and looked at the ground as Freddy kept watching him, now with a look of skeptical disbelief and confusion. Billy suddenly had a feeling that he should leave, this couldn’t be comfortable for Freddy. Hell, it wasn’t comfortable for him. His face was still red and his hands were sweaty and it was sort of hard to breathe.

“Wait, you’re serious?”

At that, Billy looked up. Of all things Billy was expecting, that probably had to have been the last thing. Well, pretty low. Well, maybe below top 5. Still, he didn’t expect it, even though now he feels like he should’ve.

“Yes I- I like you. In like, a Superman and Lois lane kinda way?”

Billy’s hands were balled in his pockets, and he felt like his stomach was going to fall off. Superman and Lois Lane? Freddy’s obviously more a Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman kinda guy. Fuck.

Freddy tilted his head, his mouth open in disbelief and confusion. Not the good confusion, sort of like the face Billy saw Freddy make when he saw Eugene eat a raw hot dog last Tuesday. Gross confusion?

“You like me?” Billy nodded, taking one hand out of his pocket to rub his neck, then cursing himself for pulling such a cliche nervous move. At least he could feel his face cooling down.

“Oh my god, why?”

“What?”

“Billy, come on. Take a good look at me. Go on, take a gander.”

As Freddy used his free hand to wave around at his body, Billy looked at him. Fuck. He could feel his face getting hotter. Shit.

Listen, Freddy’s got a bad leg, and his nose looks kinda weird sometimes. He smells funky once or twice a week and he wears the same pair of socks for two weeks at a time unless someone makes him change them.

But Billy liked him. Bad. He liked Freddy’s curly hair, and he liked looking at Freddy’s smile, the soft one that he seemed to only give Billy. He loved Freddy’s laugh, and he loved the excitement on Freddy’s face when he shows Billy a new comic he got or a new fact he learned. Freddy makes Billy soft goddammit, and he hated it.

He was broken from his trance when he heard Freddy laugh, a soft teasing laugh that broke the silence.

“Dude your face looks like a tomato.”

“Fuck off.”

Freddy gasped and brought his free hand to his chest like an old woman, and Billy felt more comfortable.

“Well now I’m hurt.”

Freddy started giggling, and Billy realized he liked this, their banter. Freddy’s joking, his quirks, his interests. He liked the way Freddy made him feel like he could tell him anything and that it would be alright.

“I did- do look at you, though.”

Freddy slowly stopped laughing at Billy’s words, and he looked at him, the ghost of a smile still on Freddy’s face. But something else lingered too. Billy couldn’t figure it out for the life of him.

“I do see you, freddy.”

Billy inwardly cringed at his own words, that was way too cheesy. Shit, maybe The Proposal with Sandra Bullock really had started to rub off on him.

“Billy, that was disgusting. Utterly gross. I need to go vomit now.”

Freddy started giggling, he gripped his crutch as he laughed at Billy. Billy only rolled his eyes.

“You know- I’m trying to pour my heart out for you and I’m not really feeling appreciated.”

“Cry about it.”

“At least I don’t smell like day-old empanadas.”

“At least I don’t allegedly like someone who smells like day-old empanadas.”

“You got me.”

Billy spoke with a newfound fondness in his voice. Sort of a “yeah, he smells like day-old empanadas and what’s why I love him” sort of way. Wait, love? Shit.

Freddy sighed at his words, the smile falling from his face. He looked to the ground, and billy noticed a small freckle on his hairline he’d never noticed before. Shit, maybe he did love him.

After what seemed like forever, Freddy finally spoke. He sounded disappointed and wouldn’t meet his eyes when he said, “So, you’re still sticking with that?”

“Sticking with what?”

“That you like me or whatever.”

“I- yeah.”

Freddy looked up at him then, and moved to sit down on his bed, setting his crutch against the ladder. “A man of many words, I see.”

Billy sighed at Freddy’s words, a little annoyed and a little sad. Although he didn’t know why. Nothing bad happened,, did something bad happen? He followed Freddy and sat next to him.

“Freddy-“

“I can’t believe you like a cripple.” Freddy snorted, and Billy had a feeling that he was trying to make self depreciating jokes to deflect.

“Like, Billy, you could literally get anyone and you choose the kid who smells weird and only has one good leg.”

“Maybe I like kids who have one working leg and who also happen to smell a little off.”

“You’re so romantic.” Freddy said as he finally smiled, and leaned back onto the bed. His back lay flat against the mattress and his feet touching the hardwood floor. Billy scoffed at Freddy’s words and followed his movements. They stared at Billy’s mattress above in silence.

“You like me.” Billy turned his head to look at Freddy, who was still staring at the mattress above them.

“Yeah, I do.” Freddy giggled at that, the tips of his ears going red as he spoke softly, “Gross.”

Billy continued to look at Freddy, and after a while Freddy looked at him too. He gave Billy a small smile, and sat up again, Billy followed.

Freddy turned to him, and Billy realized how close they were. He could feel Freddy’s warm breath, and he could feel Freddy’s thigh pressed to his own. Freddy was the first one to speak.

“I’ve never been this close to someone before.”

“Like emotionally or physically?”

Freddy smiled at him through lidded eyes, and shrugged, “Maybe both I don’t know.”

Billy thought for a moment, trying to formulate a plan of action, but as he watched Freddy’s gaze fell to his lips, Billy forgot what he was thinking about.

“You uh, you ever been kissed before?” Billy cursed himself as he said that, was it subtle? Was it too subtle? Did Freddy know what message he was trying to send?

“Billy, I’m a little surprised you had to ask that question. I think the answers pretty obvious.”

Billy tilted his head, confused. How the hell would he know anything? Of course he had to ask.

“Wha-“

”Whatever. Nevermind. No I haven’t been kissed before because who wants to kiss the smelly cripple kid who won’t stop talking about superheros.”

There was an awkward lull in the conversation, because of course in the most pressing moment billy didn’t have anything to say. Freddy was still close, and his cheeks were a pretty shade of pink.

“How about you?”

“What?”

Freddy did that thing, that thing he does that drives Billy crazy. He licked his bottom lip, something he does when he’s stressed or insecure or afraid. Billy waited as Freddy brought his bottom lip into his mouth one more time before he said it, “Have you ever kissed anyone?”

“I- uh, no.”

Billy turned away as he said this, his neck felt like it was on fire. Why couldn’t he just kiss him and be done with it? Why couldn’t Freddy tell him how he feels? Why is he the only one doing anything?

Billy turned his head back to Freddy and accidentally bumped their noses. He started to lean in a bit, a small burst of confidence that was soon to leave, when Freddy jumped back in shock, kicking his crutch off balance causing it to fumble to the floor with a loud bang.

“Sorry! Sorry.”

Billy reached down to pick up the forsaken piece of metal, and after placing it back where it was, turned to see Freddy looking at him. Not just looking at him, studying him.

Billy smiled at Freddy, trying to forget the awkward situation that had happened just a few seconds beforehand. Freddy opened his mouth, ready to speak but didn’t say anything. Billy waited for a moment, but his curiosity got the best of him.

“Wha-“

In a quick movement, Freddy leaned forward and kissed him. Freddy’s hands flew to the bed on either side of Billy in order to keep himself up, and Billy found his hands gripping Freddy’s shoulders.

This was happening. Freddy was kissing him. Billy’s head felt light and his stomach felt like it was going to burst. He felt like he was going to vomit but in such a good way he didn’t want to stop. His face felt like it was on fire and he was afraid he’d leave sweat marks on Freddy’s shoulders.

It was barely a kiss, Freddy’s nose smashed into Billy’s, but he met his target pretty well. It was not like the kiss in The Proposal, their lips were just as smushed together as their noses, but still, Billy couldn’t find it in himself to stop.

Freddy extracted himself with a gasp, a fumbling apology just barely coming out before Billy brought him back in again, but this time he tilted his head a bit. Freddy sighed and moved his hands to wrap around Billy’s waist as he relaxed forward into him.

When they broke apart for the second time, Freddy laughed into Billy’s shoulder. Freddy’s ears were fire truck red, but Billy supposed he didn’t look so good himself.

“So,, does that mean you- uh, like me too or something?”

Freddy pulled back and looked at him after Billy spoke. He was doing the Eugene hot dog face again. Billy felt himself tightening his grip on Freddy’s shoulders as he stayed silent in anticipation. Did he actually kiss Freddy first? Was Freddy just pranking him?

“What, are you kidding me? I thought you knew!”

“Knew what?”

“That I’m sort of maybe perhaps into you just the tiniest bit. Come on, are you serious?”

“I did not know that!” Billy exclaimed, and Freddy laughed, mumbling something under his breath that Billy was too surprised to listen to. Freddy liked him.

Was he dreaming? Maybe there’s some super villain or something who’s kidnapped the real Freddy. What if this Freddy is a distraction and is all a figment of his imagination made up by the made up villain! Freddy leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. It made Billy’s insides turn to mush, what was he thinking about again?

Mary will never let him hear the end of this.

“Mary’s gonna be so smug when I tell her she was right.”

“I don’t care,” Freddy snorted, and leaned forward to hug billy. He turned his head and Billy heard him smelling his hair. “You smell good.”

“Yeah because I shower sometimes.”

“Fuck you.”

Freddy kissed Billy’s cheek again and giggled. Billy watched as Freddy then cupped his cheeks with his hands.

“You’re face is so red.”

Billy laughed and slapped Freddy’s arm. Freddy kept giving him that fond smile he gave him a week ago on the floor and Billy felt like nothing else mattered.

 “You’re cute, Fredward.”

”You’re not so bad yourself, Billiam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANYWAYS it was probably ooc my bad you have my 3 am mind to thank for that

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in under an hour at 3 am, but I love them uwu


End file.
